Til Him
by TakeMeTakeMeILoveYou
Summary: A songfic about Roger and Mark's friendship set to the song 'Til Him from The Producers PreRent to PostRent. RDxMC friendship MCxMJ, RDxAE, mentioned ADSxTC, RDxMM, MJxJJ. Rated T just to be safe.


**Disclaimer:** I don't own Rent or The Producers (although I do own both on DVD and have seen Rent on stage and I am going to see The Producers on stage in a couple months)

* * *

_No one ever made me feel like someone  
'Til him_

Scarsdale Junior High School  
August 24 1981

An 8th grader named Mark Cohen was happy to see the bullies got a started right away on first day of school.  
The bullie grabed Mark's colar and pushed him against wall, he closed his eyes thinking it might make it hurt less.  
The hand was removed from his shirt he kept his eyes closed.  
He heard a low wimper, and crying followed by the sound of running

"Yeah you better run" a voice shouted

"Hey man are you alright?" the same voice asked  
Mark opened his eyes to reveal a kid wearing jeans and a 'Romones' t-shirt

"Yeah I guess," Mark replied

"Good"

"Thanks...uhh...whats your name?"

"Roger...Roger Davis"

"Nice to meet you my names Mark"

"Whats your homeroom teacher?"

"Mrs. Simpson"

"Cool we have the same homeroom"  
The boys began to walk to class and with that a friendship was started.

_Life was really nothing but a glum one  
'Til him_

Larson High School lunch room  
November 10 1982

"Me and Maureen are just friends" the tenth grader replied

"Yeah right Mark, you totally want her"  
Roger was pressing the fact that Mark liked Maureen a girl that he had been friends with since they were little.

"Is it illegal to have a friend who is a girl and not have her my GIRLFRIEND"

"I dare you to ask her on a date"

"No"

"I double dog dare ya"

"C'mon Roger"

"I triple double dog dare ya"

"You are so childish"

"You can't deny a triple double dog dare man"

"Oh fine, if it will shut you up"  
Roger smiled a satisfied with him self as Mark got up from the lunch table and walked over to Maureen.  
She said Yes.

_My existence bordered on the tragic  
Always timid, never took a chance  
Then I felt his magic  
And my heart began to dance_

Mark's House  
Janurary 14 1983

Mark and Roger where in Mark's bedroom getting ready for Mark's sister's wedding that afternoon. The duo was acompanied by Maureen Johnson, Mark's girlfriend.  
"I can't believe my sister's geting married" Mark said as Maureen helped him with his tie.

"I can't believe she is letting you bring Maureen" Roger said putting his hair into spikes, while looking into the mirror on the door to the bedroom.

"Shut up Roger You know they love me, besides your just sad because you know you'll never get Cindy now"

"I still can't believe you like my sist- OW MAUREEN THATS TO TIGHT" Mark gaged alittle, Maureen had tightened the tie to tight.

"Sorry Pookie"

"It's okay, How do I look"

"Stunning"  
Mark picked up his new camera

"Finnaly the perfect oprotunity to try it out"

"I didn't know you liked to film" Roger said

"Thats becuase I haven't had a camera for awhile since _someone_ droped mine at my Bar Mitzvah," Mark looked at Maureen

"How was I supposed to know it would break if you droped it"

_I was always frightened, fraught with worry...  
'Til him_

Mark's Hospital Room  
Marh 28 1985

Mark had to have his apendix removed, and was in the hospital. He hadn't seen Roger or Maureen for 5 days and was depressed and lonely. He was so happy that in 5 more days he would be released.  
"Marky, I Have something for you" Mark's mom said and brought in the projector he owned.

"What?"

"One of your friends made you a little video"  
Once it was all set up, the reel of film began to play on the wall.  
Roger was dressed in a tiedied shirt and a fake rastafarian dread lock and hat combo.

"I am the Rastafarian Kung Fu master and I am gonna kick your ass mon" Roger said in a fake Jamacan and began to jump around a do kung fu kicks and punchs still done up in the get up.  
Mark hadn't felt this happy in for days.

_I was going nowhere in a hurry  
'Til him  
_  
The Prymid Club  
Feburary 17 1987

Roger and Mark had graduated in May of 1985 and decided to go to New York City and try to make it big.  
They moved into a loft in the East Village with a student at NYU named Tom Collins. Maureen joined them. Roger had started a band shortly after they moved in, the band was named the Well Hungarians.  
It was after one of they're shows.

"Do you see that girl in the front?" Roger asked Collins.

"Why are you asking me boy, I am G-A-Y how many times do I gotta tell you, I do not check out girls."  
Mark walked over and sat down at the bar Roger and Collins were sitting at.

"Great show tonight"

"Thanks, hey did you see that girl in the front"

"The one with the red hair, yeah I saw her she was pretty hot"

"Yeah I know"  
Out of the conner of his eye he saw Maureen talking with the girl, then pointing at him. The woman walked over.

"You were really good tonight" the woman said

"Thank you"

"I'm April"

"Roger...Roger Davis"

_He filled up my empty life  
Filled it to the brim_

The Loft  
September 25 1988

It was early in the morning  
Roger picked up Mark's camera, and walk towards the door to Mark's room with April following closely behind him.  
Roger stormed into the room

"GOOD MORNING BRITHDAY BOY!" He shouted  
Mark screamed scared out of his mind, Maureen just covered head with a pillow and attempt to go back to sleep  
The scream woke up Collins and his new boyfriend Adrien

"What the hell is going on?" Collins asked has he stepped out of his room.  
Roger and April were laughing uncontrollably on the floor with Mark standing in the doorway, in a pair of boxer and a Care Bear t-shirt. His hair looked as if a blender was his hair stylist.

"I like the new look Mark," Adrien said "and the Grumpy Bear shirt really goes with your eyes"

"What did you two do to him?" Collins asked trying not to laugh

"We just wanted to give him a birthday surprise" April explained  
Maureen finally got up and they all went to the life for breakfast.

_There could never ever be  
Another one...like him  
_  
The Loft  
March 23 1989

Roger and Mark came back to an empty loft...so it appeared.  
"April? Babe? Ya Here?" Roger shouted  
He went to look in the bed room to see if she was there. When he heard a blood curdling scream from the bathroom.  
He went into the bathroom and saw his girlfriend in the bathtub blood was everywhere. She was not breathing.  
Roger went to her side and checked her pulse...there was none.

"Hey guys I'm- HOLY SHIT!" Collins said as he entered the loft and saw Roger holding April's limp body in his arms.  
Mark picked up a note that was on the sink.

_**Roger  
We Have AIDS. Sorry I did this to you, I just couldn't live with this disease. **_

I Love You  
April

Marks mind was racing ther was no way to put it so he could process it  
WE HAVE AIDS  
HE HAS AIDS  
ROGER HAS AIDS  
MY BEST FRIEND HAS AIDS  
Mark couldn't hold it in he began to cry at the relization his best friend was going to die  
That March was one they wouldn't forget, Collins was diagnosed with AIDS, Roger was diagnosed with AIDS, and April comitted suicide.

_No one ever ever really knew me  
'Til him_

(Mark POV)  
The Loft  
June 14 1989

"Please Mark I need a hit"

"No, man you can do this"

"NO, I NEED IT"

"NO"  
Roger headed for the door  
I grabbed his arm

"DAMN IT MARK LET ME GO"

"NO"

"LET ME GO"

"NO, I AM NOT LETING YOU GIVE UP"  
Roger atempt to pry my hand off of his forearm, he got close but didn't acomplish it.

Everyone was always out to screw me  
'Til him

The Loft  
November 9 1989

"She dumped me" I sniffled as I walked through the door.

"I'm sorry, was there another man" Roger asked from his windowsil perch.

"No, not exactly"

"What do you mean not exactly?"

"She dumped me for a lawyer...named Joanne"

"OH MY GOD"  
Roger laughed more than I had seen him laugh since April died.

_Never met I man I ever trusted  
Always dealt with shysters in the past  
Now I'm well adjusted  
'Cause I've got a friend at last_

I look back on all that now and all next years had.  
Roger met Mimi he fell in love only to have her taken away from him two years later  
Collins met Angel I had never seen a couple more in love than those two, but Angel died ironicly on they're 10 month anuversry.  
Collins stopped taking his AZT and died 9 months after Angel.  
Maureen and Joanne have had some rough patches but made it through they are now living in California, they recently adopted a baby boy that they named Angel Thomas Johnson-Jefferson.

_Always playing singles, never doubles  
'Til him_

Roger's Hospital Room  
August 14 1999

I sit in a chair at my best friends side as he lays on what will be his death bed.  
"Mark" He says weakly

"Yeah Rog" my voice is cracking as I choke back tears.

"You know your my best friend, and I love you"

"I love you to Rog"  
Tears start to flow down my cheeks.

_Never had a pal to share my troubles  
'Til him  
_  
I stay there day and night we talk about everything ranging from our childhood, to my love life. Which had always been a favorite subject of his.  
But they're was no denying he would be gone soon.

_He filled up my empty life_

I was there on August 24 1999 when the steady beep of the heart monitor went to one flat tone.

_Filled it to the brim_

Now I am here alone  
I read the name and dates on the headstone

**ROGER SPENCER DAVIS  
JULY 15 1967 - AUGUST 24 1999**

_I then read the writing underneath it_

**WILL I LOSE MY DIGNITY?** no  
**WILL SOME ONE CARE?** yes  
**WILL I WAKE TOMARROW FROM THIS NIGHTMARE?** i wish you did

I felt tears run down the side of my cheek

_There could never ever be  
Another one ... like him_

* * *

**A/N:** I love this song, and when I here it I always think of Roger and Mark so I thought why not write a fic about it. This my first song fic. so be nice 

Reviews are welcomed and loved

-Roger and Mimi-


End file.
